UNH men's hockey team likes role of underdog

Saturday

Mar 28, 2009 at 2:00 AM

MANCHESTER — University of New Hampshire goalie Brian Foster and right wing Bobby Butler were doing post-practice interviews in a hallway in the Verizon Wireless Arena Friday afternoon when Ohio State arrived, its red sweatsuit-clad players walking past them toward their locker room.

Mike Zhe

MANCHESTER — University of New Hampshire goalie Brian Foster and right wing Bobby Butler were doing post-practice interviews in a hallway in the Verizon Wireless Arena Friday afternoon when Ohio State arrived, its red sweatsuit-clad players walking past them toward their locker room.

Significance? Ohio State is probably the only team in this regional whose presence has received less fanfare.

After getting swept out of the Hockey East quarterfinals by Boston College two weekends ago, third-seeded UNH finds itself squarely in the underdog's role for its NCAA first-round game against No. 2 North Dakota Saturday.

It's a strange position for a team that's been to eight straight NCAAs — the second-longest current streak in the nation — and was seeded No. 1 in regionals each of the past two years.

"It's actually very good for us," Butler said. "No one's talking about us. We're coming in the back door. Any team can win on any given day here and if we play well we're going to surprise some people."

Listen to the fans and prognosticators and these Wildcats are regarded as little more than party hosts, who'll greet the other three teams at the door and then quietly slip away, taking their so-so record (19-12-5) and recent first-round history with them.

Their opponent Saturday isn't Goliath, but it is a dangerous North Dakota team that won the regular-season title in the WCHA, and boasts a 24-14-4 record and No. 7 national ranking.

"I think it's good that we're the underdog," said left wing Jerry Pollastrone. "Any time I watch a game I'm rooting for the underdog. I want the underdog to win."

Wanting to win is one thing. Actually winning is something else, especially against a team like the Fighting Sioux, who have a Hobey Baker Award winner on the roster (forward Ryan Duncan), have played in four straight Frozen Fours and whose players have a combined 84 NCAA tournament games under their belts.

"I'm sure people are counting us out, but that means nothing to us," said defenseman Kevin Kapstad. "I'm sure everyone thinks we're going to lose again but that's not the way we think."

North Dakota coach Dave Hakstol isn't buying it.

"We're playing in their backyard in a rink they play in and are very comfortable in," he said. "You can spin it any way you want. What you have are two pretty good teams."

The winner Saturday will play either top-seeded Boston University or fourth-seeded Ohio State in the regional final on Sunday. UNH has not played in a regional final since 2005.

Umile has floated the idea this week that he's going to shake up his lines, but kept his plans close to his vest. Pollastrone skated with regular linemates James van Riemsdyk and Mike Sislo during practice Friday, while Butler saw time with Greg Collins and Peter LeBlanc. Following that pattern, another combination would be Danny Dries-Phil DeSimone-Paul Thompson.

"We'll put some lines together tonight and go from there," Umile said.

They'll also need to put together 60 minutes of hockey against the Sioux, who average nearly a half-goal more a game (3.4) than them, allow fewer (2.7) and connect on 17.6 percent of their power plays.

Kapstad said Friday they remind him a little bit of BU, the regular-season and tournament champion in Hockey East.

"Probably like a BU, or any top-notch team that goes up and down the ice and plays physical," said Kapstad. "We're just worried about ourselves and how we play, not them and how they play."

The focus for UNH is limiting the transition rushes, staying out of the penalty box and getting something — anything — out of a power play that's clicking at a paltry 11.5 percent.

"We've got nothing to lose, really," said Butler. "Nobody's counting on us to win. We might as well just go out and play our hardest."

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